Chapter 43 Differentiation of Syndromes and Treatment

Princess Changle was, after all, still young, and she knew very little about the various affairs of the outside world.

After being explained to by Su Chen in such a manner, everything suddenly seemed to make complete sense. At that moment, a smile returned to Princess Changle’s face, as if things genuinely were just as Su Chen described.

It was entirely natural for Su Chen, acting as a physician, to treat patients. Furthermore, given Su Chen’s immense talent, it was equally ordinary for him to pen a poem of his own upon seeing how poorly written the works of others were.

"So that was how it was! Over the past few days, I even heard some rather unsightly rumors outside. Just like last time, there are always people eager to spread malicious gossip behind our backs." Princess Changle beamed with a smile.

Su Chen could readily tell that he had successfully cleared this hurdle. Had she been any other woman with even the slightest bit of worldly experience, she would never have been so easily deceived by Su Chen’s casual remarks. It was precisely because Princess Changle rarely ventured outside the palace walls and remained largely ignorant of the goings-on in Chang'an City—being only in her early teens and just awakening to the romantic sentiments of youth—that she believed every single word Su Chen uttered. By now, she was fully convinced that certain individuals within Chang'an City had deliberately framed Su Chen.

"Your Highness is entirely correct. Just like the previous occasion, those groundless rumors eventually reached the ears of the Changsun family, which proved extremely detrimental to me and even brought me threats," Su Chen hastily agreed, shifting the blame entirely to the idle gossip of outsiders that had nothing to do with him.

Princess Changle found this explanation exceedingly reasonable. Moreover, she now felt a growing sense of displeasure toward Changsun Chong's previous actions. The two of them had nothing between them to begin with; what right did he have to send people to threaten Su Chen? She had not even been married off yet, yet he was already acting so overbearing, treating her as if she were already his personal possession.

"Changsun Chong is simply becoming too lawless. There was nothing between us to begin with, yet he actually dared to send someone to threaten you! When he returns to Chang'an City, I will certainly not let him run amok." Princess Changle now firmly stood on Su Chen's side.

However, this was hardly the outcome Su Chen desired, for he knew very well that it was best to maintain a respectful distance from Princess Changle. The more she insisted on protecting him, the greater the resentment it would likely provoke from Changsun Chong.

"Your Highness, you must not do such a thing. If you were to involve yourself in this as well, it would only make matters worse. I am quite capable of handling this affair on my own." Su Chen dared not let Princess Changle get involved. Should Changsun Chong catch wind of it, the situation would only turn more unfavorable for him.

Princess Changle nodded in agreement, though deep down she had already made up her mind: if Changsun Chong dared to bring any harm to Su Chen upon his return to Chang'an City, she would show him no mercy whatsoever.

Standing off to the side, Cheng Chumo had not dared to utter a single word throughout the entire exchange. Su Chen was simply too formidable; the two of them had conversed as if treating him as a mere bystander who was entirely inconsequential, leaving him with no choice but to stand silently by. Had Su Chen not restrained him and kept him rooted there in silence, Cheng Chumo would have long since fled the scene, knowing there was nothing to be gained by remaining.

"Very well, I shall heed your words in this matter, but I certainly will not sit idly by and let any harm come to you. I came here today for another reason as well—for these past few days, my lower body has been bleeding incessantly and refuses to stop." As Princess Changle uttered these final words, her voice dropped to a soft whisper.

Over the past few days, she had consulted numerous imperial physicians, yet none had been able to effect a cure. Su Chen had already deduced her condition simply by observing her complexion the moment she stepped through the door. However, Princess Changle's physical constitution differed markedly from others; normally, someone in her current state might benefit from the Xiaoyao Pill. Yet Princess Changle had been burdened by a chronic ailment for some time. Persisting in this condition over a prolonged period had naturally led to a depletion of her vital energy and blood.

Under ordinary circumstances, a young maiden in her early teens had no need for blood-tonifying remedies, as youth naturally endowed one with an abundance of vital energy and blood. Princess Changle's case, however, was entirely exceptional; she was clearly suffering from a severe deficiency of both.

"Your Highness, this condition stems from a deficiency of vital energy and blood. Such a deficiency must be replenished. Today, I shall have the remedy prepared and sent directly to the imperial palace. Would that be acceptable?"

The medicine had not yet been prepared, and restoring Princess Changle's health would require more than a single day's effort. Su Chen first drafted a medicinal prescription aimed primarily at stopping the bleeding. Because Princess Changle's deficiency of vital energy and blood had caused her menstrual bleeding to continue unabated, her case differed fundamentally from that of Yang Wan'er. Yang Wan'er's prolonged bleeding was due to stagnation of liver Qi, whereas her vital energy and blood were relatively abundant, and her overall physical constitution was considerably stronger. Princess Changle, conversely, had suffered from a lingering chronic illness for years, which had gradually drained her vital energy and blood into a state of profound deficiency. The immediate priority was to staunch the bleeding, after which various medicinal herbs would be required to rebuild her constitution.

"You are the physician; naturally, I shall defer to your judgment. How the medicine is to be taken and how the treatment is to proceed are entirely up to you." Princess Changle nodded. At this juncture, she placed absolute trust in Su Chen.

Before leaving, she even placed a heavy ingot of silver on the table for Su Chen.

"This is entirely out of the question, Your Highness. Please take it back."

Treating a princess was a task for which Su Chen dared not accept remuneration. Princess Changle, however, was in high spirits; her personal doubts had been cleared up, and she cared very little about her actual illness at the moment. Even though Su Chen refused her silver, she was determined to leave it behind.

"That simply won't do. If you were an imperial physician within the palace, I might not need to pay, but since you run a private medical clinic outside and I have taken up so much of your time—not to mention receiving your medicine—it is only right that I pay for your services."

With that, Princess Changle set the silver down and departed with a proud stride. After all, she had now secured a ready excuse: whenever her health felt even slightly amiss, she could simply visit Su Chen's clinic to see him. How could she possibly do so without leaving behind some money? Besides, she anticipated troubling Su Chen with various matters frequently in the future.

Princess Changle left in high spirits, but Su Chen remained standing in silence before the ingot of silver. This did not bode well. It was likely that the princess would run over to his clinic on repeated occasions in the future, a development that the Changsun family would undoubtedly discover sooner or later.

"Brother, you truly are brilliant! With just a few words, you completely pacified the princess and averted any disaster. From beginning to end, she didn't even cast a single glance in my direction; she probably had no idea I was even standing right beside you." Cheng Chumo chuckled, having witnessed the entire interaction with crystal clarity. Princess Changle had focused her heart and mind entirely upon Su Chen, remaining utterly oblivious to Cheng Chumo's presence right next to him.